Jixiang Street.
Ning Nian and Lao Chatou had already rushed back to the post house.
The old man put the door latch upside down, and before the two of them sat down, they heard the sound of chains coming from outside the door.
Lao Chatou immediately scolded: "Even I can't trust this stupid thunder tiger."
Someone outside heard Lao Chai's scolding and immediately replied: "Master Wu, calm down, our gang leader is doing this for your own good. After all, we can't guess Ning Xiaocha's temper. If you don't think about him, you have to think about yourself." no."
The old man snorted and ignored him. He found two wooden benches and placed them next to the brazier, waving to Ning Nian.
Ning Nian sat down and did nothing.
He stared at the strangely dancing flames in the brazier and was lost in thought.
Lao Chatou then sat down, took out a small wine bottle from his arms, took a sip, and asked, "Do you know how to drink?"
Ning Nian shook his head.
The old man said with a slightly disappointed tone: "Young man, firstly, I don't know how to use a knife, and secondly, I don't know how to drink, so my life is a bit boring."
Ning Nian looked up blankly, looked at the knife and then the wine, but made no choice.
The old man didn't force himself and took another sip of wine.
Ning Nian looked at the old chap, and suddenly felt that she should find something to do, so she got up and walked to the center of the room. With her back straight, she slowly spread her feet at shoulder level, slightly bent her legs, and held her hands empty. On both sides of the waist, he made a fist starting position.
The old man was stunned, and a mouthful of wine flowed into his throat unconsciously without swallowing it.
"Cough...cough...!"
The old man choked after drinking for the first time in decades. He coughed violently, his old skinny and wrinkled face turned red, and he spurted out a mouthful of wine. A tongue of flame suddenly shot out from the brazier and swallowed up the wine in an instant.
Fortunately, the old man was not sitting too close to the brazier, otherwise the tongue of fire would have scorched his head.
Ning Nian did not stop his movements. His body was stretched, his breath was even, and he was playing very seriously. Every move and style was as perfect as possible. Every punch he threw gave people a natural feeling. It's good-looking.
Ning Nian had practiced this set of boxing techniques for more than a thousand times. He slowly handed his fist forward, and at the same time turned his head and asked with concern: "Master Wu, are you okay?"
Lao Chatou's voice was originally hoarse, but now his words were even more slurred. He cleared his throat hard and said awkwardly: "Do you practice boxing when you have nothing to do on weekdays?"
Ning Nian replied while punching: "Well, sometimes when I can't sleep during the day, I will go to the school on Ruixiang Street to learn literacy secretly."
Lao Chatou liked Ning Nian very much. He stared at Ning Nian for a while and realized that this boxing technique was very open and closed, both offensive and defensive. It didn't look like a wild way, so he asked: "This boxing is from Ning Yuanshan." Taught you?"
Ning Nian nodded and said, "Well, my father has been teaching me this boxing for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, when I was a child, I was naughty and didn't know how to cherish it, so I didn't learn it well. Later I learned that I had to learn it seriously, but it was already too late."
Lao Chatou understood Ning Nian's life experience and knew what he meant. He took a sip of wine, sighed, and stared at the brazier in a daze.
Inside the small post house.
The fire flickered.
One old and one young.
One drinks.
A punch.
After a long time, Lao Chatou finally came back to his senses. He saw that Ning Nian was sweating slightly on his forehead, so he said, "Boy Ning."
Ning Nian did not stop moving.
The old man knew that Ning Nian was listening carefully, so he continued: "You should change your temper. If you continue like this, you will suffer a lot sooner or later."
Ning Nian paused, thought for a moment, stood up, closed her fists, and went directly to the brazier to sit down.
He looked at Lao Chatou and said with a serious face: "I was in the gambling house just now. I am very grateful to you."
Lao Chatou waved his hand casually to indicate that he didn't need to mention it anymore, but continued: "I know you have a stubborn temper, but I still want to say that we are quiet people, and many times we don't need to be so serious about things, and the Black Tiger Gang is not as serious as you think. Simple."
Ning Nian knew that Lao Chatou was doing it for his own good, so he nodded and said nothing.
The old chatou continued: "According to common sense, there should be at least four or five guards stationed in a post house. But in these years, except for me, the government has never sent any young adults here, that is, you. They see You were young and my family lived nearby, so I didn’t take you seriously, so I transferred you here.”
Ning Nian listened carefully and saw that the fire in the brazier was gradually weakening. He picked up the fire stick on the side and gave it a few blows.
Lao Chatou also stared at the brazier and advised: "Try not to provoke the Black Tiger Gang. No matter how strict the laws of Da Zhou are, we can't afford to offend them."
The fire in the brazier gradually grew stronger.
Ning Nian stared at the flames and suddenly said: "My family used to live on Zhuque Street. I remember there was an old locust tree with a crooked neck in front of my door. When I was a child, I often begged my mother to put me in the tree so that I could see clearly the excitement in the distance. , I was happy, and my mother also laughed."
Under firelight.
The old man stared at the slightly green face. He understood that this poor child was willing to tell him the past, which meant that he had regarded him as the closest person, so he listened silently.
Ning Nian continued to mutter: "Later, my father received the order and left for more than a year. He did not suddenly come back until the end of the second year. But since then, he has been ill and has never recovered."
"In order to treat my father's illness, my mother sold everything she could. Finally, we moved from Zhuque Street to Ronghua Lane. Although life was hard at that time, I was not sad."
"Later, my mother also fell ill, and in the end she still couldn't survive that winter. Before she died, she kept telling me that I must live well and be a good person. She also said that I should do more good deeds, so that I would be blessed. Although it has not yet arrived, the disaster is far away.”
"After my mother left, I kept every word she said firmly in my heart, and I dare not forget it even a little bit."
"Later on, only my father and I were left at home. My father was lying in bed regretting every day, saying he was sorry to my mother and me for making us endure hardships with him. I could see that he was really regretful and very sad. At that time, I I don’t know how to comfort him, but actually I always wanted to tell him that my mother doesn’t blame him at all, and I don’t blame him either.”
"But until my father passed away, I didn't say these words."
"After my parents left, there was really nothing left in the house except a bed. I was scared at night, so I covered my head with a quilt. I missed my dad, my mom, and the thoughts they left for me. , I miss the principles taught by my mother, and the boxing skills taught by my father."
"I cherish these thoughts very much, and I dare not not cherish them. After all, there are not many things. If I forget them again, there will really be nothing."
Ning Nian looked calm, as if what he was talking about had nothing to do with him.
Lao Cha's heart trembled and he felt a little uncomfortable. He had been used to seeing life and death parting in his life, so he could naturally understand Ning Nian's feelings. At this time, he finally understood why Ning Nian was so stubborn sometimes.
It turns out that this miserable child regarded his mother's teachings and his father's identity as a police officer as relics.
Although he doesn't say it with his mouth, he always practices it.
He did what his mother said. He inherited his father's identity as a police officer. He wanted to save money to buy back the old house on Zhuque Street, climb the old locust tree again, and take a look at the bustle on the street...
he……
There is still much to do.
The old man sighed secretly, moved the wooden stool, forced the wine bottle into the young man's hand, and said: "Have a taste, young man, how can you do it if you don't know how to drink."
Ning Nian clutched the wine bottle and thought about it for a long time. Finally, she imitated the old man and took a big gulp.
Bad wine enters the mouth and is difficult to swallow.
Ning Nian didn't know how to drink, so he relied on his youth and energy to endure the sour and spicy taste and swallowed it in one gulp.
When the bad wine entered his throat, his throat instantly hurt like a knife, and then the pain flowed down the river, and finally it exploded in his lower abdomen, turning into a warm current and gradually disappearing.
Ning Nian's eyes filled with tears as she choked. She suppressed her coughing and said in a hoarse voice, "It doesn't taste good."
The old man chuckled and said, "You know nothing!"
Ning Nian also smiled: "It feels quite comfortable."
The old chap looked kindly and said with a smile: "Yes, you don't care if the wine tastes good or not, it just makes you feel comfortable."
Ning Nian nodded after hearing this but handed the wine bottle back, stood up and continued to practice boxing.
Lao Cha did not go back to the house, but continued to lie down in the recliner, covered himself with a quilt, closed his eyes and rested.
…
Outside the post house.
The night is already dark.
After a busy day of business on Taixiang Street, some of the vendors put away their stalls and closed their doors for a rest, and the number of pedestrians gradually began to decrease.
The other end of the street.
Not far from Zhuque Street, there is a brothel called Yichun Garden.
The brothel was bustling with people. The prostitutes leaning against the door waved their sleeves, sang songs on the railings, and kept greeting the passers-by on the street.
The second floor of Yichun Garden.
In a Tianzihao elegant room.
The interior of the house is beautifully decorated and magnificent.
In the middle, a group of dancers are dancing gracefully, and the singer behind the screen is singing sweetly.
In front of the dancer, a group of men and women sat on the floor with their backs on low couches.
Two handsome young men in the crowd, with their clothes open and their breasts exposed, were hugging each other, feeling very happy.
One of them, an older young man, was blushing and his eyes were hazy from drunkenness. He was holding an exquisite wine bottle in one hand, and the other hand was roaming back and forth on the woman's body wantonly. The woman couldn't bear the tickling, leaning on the young man's arms and smiling sweetly.
Another young man looked proud. He also pointed at the older young man with a wine bottle and said, "Master Du, how do you feel about a woman from a foreign country?"
The young man known as Mr. Du took back his hand, leaned in the woman's arms, handed the wine bottle to his mouth, sucked the tip of the spout and took two sips, his eyes blurred and he laughed: "It is really the most beautiful thing in the world, so wonderful! "
"Hahaha……"
The younger young man laughed wildly when he heard this.
Mr. Du also laughed wildly.
Mr. Du smiled and lay sideways on the woman's lap, stretched out his left hand and slowly slid his index finger on the woman's face, and sighed: "Why didn't I know there was such a fairyland in the south of the city before?"
The younger man smiled and said: "Chang'an City is so big, it's not surprising that you don't know it. Even I only found out about this place by chance. How could I forget Mr. Du when I think of such a good place in the south of the city? I'm busy today." After the class is over, I will rush out and ask you to come here to talk, hahahaha."
Mr. Du laughed wildly and said, "The one who knows me is Brother Chen."
The younger man raised his finger and pointed at Mr. Du and said, "Like-minded, like-minded!"
The two looked at each other and laughed wildly again.
But Mr. Du smiled and suddenly sighed.
The younger man didn't know what was going on and asked, "What's wrong with Mr. Du?"
Mr. Du was lying on the woman's lap, and said with a somewhat depressed expression: "Mr. Chen, you don't know something. I've been almost bored to death lately. My father keeps me at home every day to study and read. If it hadn't been for my mother's decision to go to Baiyun Temple today. You wish, so I have the chance to sneak out with you, otherwise you wouldn't be able to see me."
A hint of cunning flashed in the younger man's eyes, and it disappeared for a moment. He pretended to be surprised and said: "That shouldn't be the case. Why did Mr. Du's family tradition suddenly become so strict?"
Mr. Du let out a wine burp and sighed: "My father thinks that I only care about having fun every day and preaching endlessly every day. It makes my head hurt. I couldn't help it a few days ago and accidentally retorted a few words. I didn't think so. It made the old man angry and cut off my monthly income. Brother, I am really broke and penniless now."
Mr. Chen rolled his eyes and said indifferently: "I don't think it's a big deal. It's just money. How much do you want? I don't have anything else, but a lot of money!"
Hearing this, Mr. Du struggled to get up, climbed up from the gentle countryside, shook his head and said: "The money you borrowed must be repaid. It would be okay if my father stopped me for a month or two, but he really wants to stop for a year and a half." , where can I get the money to pay you back? I have to think of a way to make money, this is a long-term solution."
Mr. Chen closed his eyes when he heard this, seemingly thinking, but in fact he was secretly happy. He deliberately paused for a few moments before opening his eyes and said, "I really know a few ways to make money."
Mr. Du suddenly became energetic, looked at the other party with drunken eyes and said, "I would like to hear the details."
